1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a symbol combination gaming apparatus such as a slot machine and a pachinko comprising a varying display means to varyingly display various symbols and a function to control the varying display to provide a player with a benefit depending on the result, and a gaming apparatus system using a hall management computer to manage a gaming history.
2. Related Art
A slot machine can be cited as typical example of this kind of gaming apparatus. The slot machine has a plurality of rotating reels, in which a plurality of symbols are provided on the circumference thereof. A prize is defined as a price state where a combination of symbols when each rotating reel stopped becomes same as a predetermined stopping state, i.e., the same symbols line up on a pay line specified by the player, it is so configured that a predetermined amount of coin or giveaway is paid out. In general, types of contingency are often added to obtain this prize. The gaming apparatus is characterized by contingency that a player cannot totally control the result of a game with his skill.
In order to realize the “contingency”, various methods have been adopted. Recently, a control method called “pre-judgment” to control reels to stop depending on the result of the lottery after carrying out a prize lottery through software with a microcomputer is adopted in a slot machine. For example, a slot machine described in Japanese Patent No. 1991-72313 is a so called pachi-slot gaming machine with stop buttons, comprising a random number sampling means to sample a random number based on the start lever operation by a player, and a prize probability table separated into each random number range of “big hit”, “mid hit” and “small hit” depending on the largeness of a prize pattern. Then it judges that the prize pattern wins to establish a hit (winning) flag of the relevant prize pattern if a sampled random number falls on the winning section of the prize probability table. These winning flags include the winning flag of the prize pattern called “small prize pattern” in which about ten pieces of coins are discharged by matching predetermined symbols (e.g., “bell” or “cherry”) on an effective prize line, and the one called a “bonus pattern” a state to generate a prize more easily than normal gaming states during a predetermined times of gaming, to payout about 100 to 400 pieces of coins by predetermined symbols matched (e.g., “7” or “BAR” symbol).
The state of winning flag established is the one called “internal winning” in general. A related prize pattern is just allowed to be lined up on the prize line and no prize is generated actually. In order to generate a prize, rotating prize symbols shall be controlled with a timing to stop them on a prize line (normally, within four frames). This operation is called “frame press”. If this operation timing is bad, prize is not generated though an internal winning is generated. This state is called “missed winning”.
This missed winning, in a large sense, may be caused by the missed frame press. The causes include some patterns. First, an aimed symbol has been determined, however, a player can not recognize varying symbols and stops reels at a rough estimate to fail. Second, there are plural prize patterns that may win within the current game, and a player does not know which symbol to be stopped and fail.
In the former case, a player can improve the accuracy in some measure if he is skilled in the frame press technique. However, in the latter case, a play must understand the internal winning state which can not be seen from outside. However much a player skilled in the frame press, it is not possible to improve the accuracy of the frame press.
On the contrary, if an internal winning pattern is informed, it is possible to realize gaming states such as a bonus gaming in which a lot of coins are obtained even in the ordinary gaming state. There are gaming apparatuses with a function called “Assist Time (AT)”, function that reduces missed winning and pays out a larger amount of coins than normal gaming, by taking advantage of gaming property specific to pachinko-slots, when predetermined conditions are met, by reporting an internal winning, further, a type of the internal winning pattern during a predetermined period. A state during AT falls into the category of the “gaming state” mentioned below. But it is possible to specify to practically pay out coins comparable to that of the bonus gaming.
There is also a function “Super Time (ST)” that changes the amount of coins paid out depending on whether winning of “internal winning state” is supported or not. When a rotating reel is controlled to stop by the operation of a stop button by a player, plural “stop tables” for determining the number of frames slipped from the pattern position at which the stop operation has been carried out are provided, a stop table is selected by random number lottery every times when a winning pattern is internal selected. The stop control of the function is composed that no winning is generated, even if buttons are so pressed in the timing of the frame press that the reel can stop on the effective winning line, unless a stop operation is carried out in order of the stop operation specified in the stop table. The function of ST realizes a large number of coins comparable to the bonus gaming as “AT function” mentioned above by assigning an “announced” state of the type of the stop table selected and an “unannounced” state of that to the selected stop table.
As shown above, a gaming state in which a large number of coins can be obtained other than the bonus gaming is called “particular game” in the present invention. Including specific game and bonus gaming state in which a large number of coin payout is carried out is called “special game”.
A player plays games hoping these special games occur. Regardless to say, the probability of a special game changes depending on the business policy of a parlor. For example, a parlor offers a large number of coins to players in a so called service day with a higher probability of special game, or makes profits by reducing payout in a day of profit collection. Further, in the same parlor and time, some gaming apparatuses easily offer special games and others not. In general, in present-day pachinko parlors (parlors), the operation data of gaming apparatuses are collected in real time and states of gaming apparatuses are monitored. They gain appropriate business profits by aggregating the gaming data outputted by gaming apparatuses with a parlor management computer and adjusting probability of special games based on the data analysis.
Specifically, probability of special games is changed by changing the payout rate occurrence by changing the setting switch to adjust the probability of occurrence of special games built in each gaming apparatus. In general, a player can not recognize the setting state. However, a player can recognize the probability of occurrence of special games if he can know the number of generated special games and the game number until then even if he can not confirm the setting of a gaming apparatus. Players have strongly requested construction of a system to confirm the past gaming history of gaming apparatuses.
In this situation, a system where a gaming information display unit to display current gaming record of a gaming apparatus by utilizing a gaming apparatus data collection system of a parlor is located on the way from a gaming apparatus to a parlor management computer and a player can confirm the display for making decision in selecting a gaming apparatus, has been proposed. The information display device is installed at the upper side of each gaming apparatus to offer various gaming apparatus information to players.
On the other hand, gaming apparatuses to offer various attractions using liquid crystal displays and stereo speakers with attraction control board improved significantly have been proposed. Attractions include information of an establishment of an internal winning flag, a suggestion of an appropriate operation method, execution of prize attraction, attraction during a bonus, etc. Attractions are controlled depending on the gaming states. In these attraction controls, players are greatly interested in an attraction to inform the internal winning of bonus pattern mentioned above, an attraction to inform an internal winning pattern established during AT gaming, an attraction to inform an appropriate stop procedure during ST gaming and so on, and the above attractions are essential parts of representations installed in a pachi-slot gaming machine.
However, at present, though various attractions are offered, gaming control information that is a basis to determine the content of attraction is limited to a single gaming apparatus and variation of attraction is likely to be confined.
Represented units have been confined to a single gaming apparatus. Players are likely to focus on a gaming apparatus that he is using. A lot of gaming apparatuses located in a parlor are not utilized effectively on the attraction basis.